The genesis of the automotive industry was centered on improving individual transportation, and with Henry Ford's introduction of the assembly line into the automotive industry automobiles became affordable for most households. Initial automobiles were primarily utilitarian in their design and function; that being of providing a means to travel conveniently from point A to point B and in a shorter period of time than previous modes of transportation. As the industry began to compete more heavily for business, automobile styling became an increased factor of consideration in choosing an automobile. Today, an automobile purchaser will often consider style and appearance of an automobile as a major factor in choosing an automobile to purchase as a personal statement of life style, personality, and even ego satisfaction.
Further, an entire industry has been built around the modification and customization of automobiles enabling an individual to further express themselves through the appearance and function of their personal automobiles. The forms of personal modifications are limitless and range from the ‘deuce coupe hot rods of the 50's, to modified muscle cars of the 60's and 70's, and on to the classic car restorations that are popular today. Automobiles have also contributed to leisure time entertainment. Various automobile races such as stock car races, drag races, Formula 1, and Indy car races have become increasingly popular as well and automotive shows of all types for automobile aficionados.
One type of modification that functions as much for entertainment as it does to make a personal statement is to convert an automobile into a ‘low-rider’. A low-rider is a style of car that sits lower to the ground than most other car styles. Many low-riders have its suspension system modified so that it can change height at the flip of a switch. Most often, this is accomplished through the use of hydraulics. The cars most modified into lowriders are automobiles from the 40's, 50's and 60's.
Initially, lowriders were modified to ride as low to the road surface as possible. However, laws, such as the laws in California, were enacted to limit how low an automobile could ride. In order to bypass these laws, customizers included hydraulic pumps in the auto's suspension that allowed the user to change the ride height at will at the flick of a switch. Between 1960 and 1975, customizers adapted and refined automotive frames, hydraulics and airbrushing techniques to create the modern lowrider style.
The hydraulic systems utilised in lowriders range from simple to complex and are usually measured by the number of hydraulic pumps (generally 2 to 4) used to control the various hydraulic combinations that ultimately produce a specific motion from the vehicle. These pumps are powered by multiple batteries usually installed in a rack in the trunk of the vehicle. The most common motions are dipping or raising the four corners of the vehicle, dipping or raising the front or rear of the vehicle, dipping or raising the sides of the vehicle, and lowering or raising the vehicle as a whole. However, these systems are limited to providing linear motion only along a single axis, namely the vertical axis most commonly referred to as the z-axis. These systems do not provide motion front to back (y-axis), or side to side (x-axis). In addition, these systems do not provide a mechanism to move the vehicle in any direction; within precise, controlled time limits as necessary to move the vehicle in concert with musical notes or beats.
Therefore, a system is needed by which an automobile operator can translate the body of an automobile in three degrees of freedom with respect to the wheels of an automobile to permit a user to program or perform a choreographed movement of the automobile body with respect to its wheels.